A COVENTRY gran is among at least 700 people taking legal action after suffering painful skin conditions they say were caused by new sofas.

The leather settees were imported from China by high street retailers.

It is claimed that the seats were treated with a wrongly-mixed chemical by the manufacturers which led to the illnesses.

Irene King said she suffered for 11 weeks with a painful rash after sitting on her new £599 sofa.

Five other people from Coventry are also considering legal action after sufferingillnesses. Mrs King, a hospital worker, of Grapes Close, Radford, was treated by her GP for shingles when the rash first appeared on her back.

But the rash worsened and the 55 year-old mum-of-four and gran-of-four, could not sleep without wet towels on her bed.

The batch of sofas believed affected were sold through Argos, Walmsleys and Land of Leather.

Mrs King's Bari sofa suite was bought from Argos and she is blaming them for the condition that has become known as sofa dermatitis.

Argos has apologised and removed the furniture but she is now taking up the matter with a solicitor to claim compensation. Hers is one of at least 1,000 cases reported in the UK by people who have suffered an agonising allergic reaction from sitting on the top-selling leather settees.

Solicitors believe there could be many more who have not linked their condition with the sofas.

Law firms confirmed they had been flooded with queries about the settees sold for between £600 and £850, after the problem was highlighted on TV's Watchdog programme.

The sofas were treated with a substance to stop them going mouldy in storage.

However the chemicals were mixed incorrectly to create di-methyl fumigate which is harmful when in contact with skin.

Mrs King said: "It started three weeks ago with a mark on my back which got worse.

"I was crying with pain. It was so awful that as I walked across a room dry skin would crumble off."

Coventry lawyer Sarah Harriott at solicitors Russell, Jones and Walker said six of its 700 cases were from people in the city.

And case litigation executive Christian Shotton said: "Severe cases have required hospital inpatient treatment for a week. There could be many more suffering who are not aware of what is causing their problems."

A statement from Argos said: "The issue first came to our attention last summer and Argos withdrew the potentially affected items from sale voluntarily. Customers were offered a refund or an appropriate alternative.

"We have been conducting a detailed investigation. We have now been informed by the expert consultant dermatologist, whom we appointed, that the likely cause was sachets found within the sofas containing an anti-mould agent called di-methyl fumigate. This is a chemical with preservative qualities that diminishes over time."